Conversations Can Change Everything
by Pelecanus
Summary: A seemingly trivial exchange of words between the right people at the right time can make a huge difference. There must have been an easier way to win the war and someone should have said so.


**Snape and Dumbledore (17 December 1992)**

Severus Snape stormed into the headmaster's office without knocking and yelled, "The boy is incompetent!"

"Ah Severus," Albus Dumbledore replied, "How nice of you to pop in for our usual chat. Would you like a lemon drop?"

Snape ignored the question, as always, and waited impatiently for him to be serious. He knew that the old man was not as foolish as he pretended to be.

"About half of the students here are boys and there are few that meet your high standards for competency. Which one are we discussing today?" The headmaster's eyes twinkled knowingly.

"The one who you expect to defeat a dark wizard." Snape said, impatiently, "His performance at that foolish dueling club was atrocious. But you have a point: they were all incompetent."

"Isn't that a little harsh, Severus? They are, after all, here to learn. I believe you supported the dueling club for that reason."

"When they were practicing in pairs, I heard some of the most basic spells. I think Potter just used a Tickling Charm and then stood there, completely open to attack."

"Perhaps he was waiting for his opponent to recover." Dumbledore suggested, suspecting that Harry would do that.

"From laughter? The next time that boy faces a dark wizard- because he will given the number of death eaters who managed to escape the corrupt legal system- they won't pause to laugh before killing him."

Dumbledore sighed, recalling an equally angry Severus in his Hogwarts uniform and also recalling the terrible events that had made the man so cynical. "He is just twelve years old, Severus. He will improve with time."

"He doesn't have time! And he won't improve if your choice of Defense Against the Dark Arts professors doesn't. He needs private lessons until he has a reasonable chance of defending himself. And some lessons in common sense. I promised to protect him and I can't very well do that if he keeps fighting mountain trolls, trying to single-handedly defend a philosopher's stone and crashing flying cars into violent trees."

"Are you volunteering?" As usual, Dumbledore already knew the answer.

"No. But I expect you to hire someone better than Lockhart."

And he left with his robes billowing out behind him in a way that Dumbledore always found quite funny. After the door slammed shut, he began considering who to hire.

 **Remus Lupin and Minerva McGonnogal (10 September 1993)**

On the first day of classes, Professor McGonnogal walked into the staff room to find a very tired looking Professor Lupin gloomily reading the day's newspaper and sipping hot chocolate. She glanced at the headlines: an alleged sighting of Sirius Black but still no progress towards catching him.

"I'm sorry, Remus. That must be hard for you to read. I remember how close the four of you were when you were students."

"Yes. I don't even know when it all went wrong. I mean he was always impulsive and he could be cruel at times but then so could James. You know what teenagers are like."

She thought for a moment. "Did he say anything at his trial about what caused him betray his friends and kill so many innocents? He never seemed very power hungry but then I can't imagine him being motivated by fear either."

"I wasn't at his trial. Actually, I didn't hear anything about it."

Professor McGonagall looked startled at that. "Come to think of it, I didn't either. And it would have been in the newspapers considering how infamous his crime was."

Lupin put his newspaper on the table, his eyes widening. "You don't suppose there never was one? This was at a time when Aurors were authorized to kill suspected Death Eaters instead of capturing them."

"But without a trial how could they be sure he did it? The only surviving witnesses were Muggles who were far enough away to escape the blast. And it wasn't common knowledge that he was the secret keeper for the Potters."

"So he might be innocent?" Lupin asked tentatively, horrified at the thought of what that would mean for his old friend.

"I'll talk to Albus about this. If there really was no trial, I'm sure he can arrange one. Just to be sure."

 **Molly Weasley and Barty Crouch (2 November 1994)**

"Mr. Crouch, is it true that you're going to make Harry, a fourteen-year-old child, participate in a dangerous competition against his will and without the consent of its guardians? This tournament was controversial in the first place and I was under the impression that it was only approved because students had to be seventeen to participate!"

Crouch slowly looked up at the woman who had just stormed into his office, apparently without an appointment, and interrupted her to ask, "And you are?"

"Molly Weasley. Now I know I'm not his mother but his only relatives are Muggles and I do have children so on behalf of all mothers I want to say that this just isn't acceptable! Harry has to be withdrawn from that competition. Immediately."

"Mrs. Weasley, these circumstances are very unfortunate but I'm afraid that just isn't possible. Mr. Potter is bound by a magical contract to compete in the tournament. The rules must be followed. Now, my secretary will escort you out." He rubbed his eyes tiredly and hoped the woman would cooperate if he remained polite. Forcing her to leave would only make her more troublesome.

"Compete? What does that mean? Surely not that he has to actually try his hardest to win at all costs? I doubt that goblet could control such a thing. It sounds to me like the poor child has been trapped- by a powerful magical object that should never have been used at my children's school- into appearing at the start of each task. So I suggest that you make another rule to follow: Harry is not allowed to do anything more than what he is magically bound to do. I can assure you the other parents will support me. As will the other schools; they don't want another competitor any more than we want him hurt or worse."

"This is outrageous. If you wish to a submit a complaint-"

"You have heard my complaint. And I'm sure hundreds of people will be willing to repeat it to you." Mrs. Weasley glared at him, sternly, as if he were one of her numerous children and had just refused to eat his greens.

"Very well. I will see what I can do. But there are protocols." He said with as much dignity as possible.

Mrs. Weasley thanked him for his time and left.

 **Severus Snape and Harry Potter (18 June 1996)**

"Sirius has been captured! Voldemort got him! They're in the Department of Mysteries! We have to help him but Hermione said we should check he's really gone. We weren't sure we could use Umbridge's fire without being caught. And Professor McGonagall and Professor Dumbledore are gone. So Hermione said I should ask you. We have to leave now!" Harry finally paused for breath and stared desperately at the teacher he hated.

"Stop chattering and wasting my time! Black cannot be in the ministry. And 20 points from Gryffindor for entering my office without knocking!" Snape waved one hand dismissively and tried to return to grading homework. They were only marginally better than the nonsense he had just heard.

"But I saw it!" Harry insisted angrily.

"You mean you're still incompetent at Occlumency. Has it occurred to you that it might have actually been a dream? Or that it's not accurate? After all, the Dark Lord, unfortunately, does not share your incompetency and could easily plant a false vision if he knew you were watching." Snape frowned at the possibility. They could not afford to be compromised because the impulsive boy couldn't resist manipulation.

"But Sirius is there. I saw him just like I saw Mr. Weasley. We have to help him!" Harry pleaded.

Snape sighed. "If you insist, I have means of contacting him. Remain here and do not disturb me." He sincerely hoped that Granger would stop the boy from running off. Did he seriously intend to travel alone to the ministry and fight a powerful dark wizard?

"Fine. But hurry."

"Ten points from Gryffindor for your insolence," he said automatically as he left the room.

 **Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore (2 February 1998)**

"Who else knows about the horcruxes?" Harry asked, pausing on his way out of Dumbledore's office.

"Nobody. And it's very important that this terrible thing remains a secret, Harry. Horcruxes twist the very essence of what it means to be human. It would be best if the very possibility of them were forgotten. And Voldemort must not know that we are looking for them. The moment he has any suspicion, he will ensure that they are all very secure and hidden. It would become virtually impossible to find and destroy them."

"But you knew horcruxes are possible and so did Professor Slughorn. And Voldemort knew something about them even before he asked Slughorn. So there must be loads of other people who've heard or read something about them. And as for knowing Voldemort has several of them, you let me tell Ron and Hermione. I mean I'd trust my friends with anything but there must be other people you trust as much as them. Why not tell some people in the Order? Then there would be a whole team of people searching instead of just you and me."

"Do you feel that the burden upon you is too great? I am sorry that you should have such responsibility at a young age, Harry. I wish I could protect you."

"But it's not my responsibility! The prophecy just says I have to kill Voldemort. You destroyed the ring. Why can't someone else destroy the others? I could help but it would be good to have more experience people- like trained Aurors- helping."

"Very well, Harry. I will convene a special meeting of the Order."

 _Author's Note: I tried not to contradict anything in the books but I apologize if I wrote anything inaccurate._


End file.
